How to Get a Product Management Job at Spotify

Spotify needs no special introduction. Everybody knows that it’s a cool company that changed the way we listen to music.

Originally from Sweden, they now have offices in 20 countries. Because it’s such an international company the culture within the company is very diverse and always changing. If you want to become one of the legendary Spotify PM’s, here’s how:

Skills needed at Spotify

Previous experience: Besides being awesome the applicants need to have some previous experience in product beforehand. Depending on the role that they’re applying for they need to have previous experience either working in cross functional teams, know iterative development principles and practices or be experienced in managing and developing software products.

Technical background: In Spotify they’re agile. Technical background is not necessary if you can compensate it with other qualities. Understanding the importance of data as the most powerful tool in decision-making is required as well as some knowledge of agile methodologies. If you are knowledgeable and passionate about music they can overlook your lack of technical background. It’s required that you know one of the two.

Spotify user: To apply for Spotify make sure you know how to use their main product. Applicants are expected to be at least engaged Spotify users or understand the basics of the streaming music business.

Preferred characteristics: Spotify wants to hire people with different backgrounds and experiences because they bring diversity into the teams. They believe this will create a better environment for the employees which will result in a better product. They also want people to be curious, hardworking, passionate, compelling storyteller and possess good instincts, as well as a critical mind. They are always open for ideas and changes so you should have the ability and desire to truly impact Spotify.

You can check out all Spotify job openings here.

Interview questions at Spotify

Prepare to discuss these following topics in the interview:

• Experience — Talk about the one role in your entire career that is most applicable to this role.
• Spotify as a product — Give us real-world examples about our product.
• The media space — Give us real-world examples about the digital media space.
• The music industry — Give us real-world examples about the music industry.

The interview process

Spotify receives thousands of resumes a year, and most people put lots of effort into their applications so if you don’t hear back from them in a few days it’s okay. They haven’t forgotten about you. Here’s what you can expect from the interview process:

• It takes a couple of months (5+) so be prepared.
• Send out an online application
• HR screening(s) over the phone
• Multiple video calls with hiring manager, service delivery lead, peer, and clients.

To help you crack the product management interview check out this video with Randy Edgar, the Product Manager at Uber, and everything about how to crack the PM interview in this article.

How to write a resume for Spotify

As much fun as it is to come up with creative and exciting ways to present your resume keep in mind the main rule: Keep it simple. Yes, you do want to make your resume stand out, but it’s better that you let the words speak for themselves. Make sure to check out these when putting the application together:

• Don’t hide what you’re capable of and what your best achievements are. Get to the point and present it the way it is.
• Make it easy to read. Maybe it’s not a bad idea to ask your friend read it through before sending it out.
• Make it look good but put more effort into the words than the design.
• Leave out the things that are not relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Where to search for jobs

• Product Management jobs

Additional resources to prepare for an interview at Spotify

• Check out this blog by Spotify.
• Read through this Cosmopolitan interview.
• Take a look at this article.
• For research check out Spotify on LinkedIn.
• Read how other people got hired at Spotify.
• Check out this article about what it’s like to work as a Product Manager at Spotify

Have any comments? Tweet us @ProductSchool

We teach product management courses in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, and New York. To learn more about our upcoming courses and how to apply click over to our course page.

This article was originally seen on The Product Management Blog